Ammunition container with cartridge lift mechanism having a chain drive with two adjustable tensioning rollers



Dec. 26, 1967 H. HERLACH ET AL 3,359,859

AMMUNITION CONTAINER WITH CARTRIDGE LIFT MECHANISM HAVING A CHAIN DRIVEWITH Two ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING ROLLERS Filed July 28, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Pi I 79/ g 70 In v8); 76/5 HeMr/c/y H F/Qc [H757 M2759 ,vW W, hair/ Dec. 26, 1967 H. HERLACH ET AL 3,359,859

AMMUNITION CONTAINER WITH CARTRIDGE LIFT MECHANISM HAVING A CHAIN DRIVEWITH Two ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING ROLLERS Filed July 28, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 26, 1967 H. HERLACH ET AL 3,359,859.

AMMUNITION CONTAINER WITH CARTRIDGE LIFT MECHANISM HAVING A CHAIN DRIVEWITH TWO ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING ROLLERS Filed July 28, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet Z- Dec. 26, 1967 H. HERLACH ET AL 3,359,859

AMMUNITION CONTAINER WITH CARTRIDGE LIFT MECHANISM HAVING A CHAIN DRIVEWITH Two ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING ROLLERS Flled July 28 1966 4 Sheets-SheetA 3,359,859 AMMUNITION CONTAINER WITH CAR- TRIDGE LIFT MECHANISM HAVINGA CHAIN DRIVE WITH TWO ADJUSTABLE TENSIONING ROLLERS Heinrich Herlachand Ernst Metzger, Zurich, Switzerland, assignors to Oerlikon-BuhrleHolding Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland Filed July 28, 1966, Ser. No. 568,429Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 30, 1965, 10,770/ 65 3Claims. (Cl. 8934) This invention relates to an ammunition container, inwhich sets of cartridges arranged in layers are movable along astraight-line path across the layer and a lower set of cartridges issupported by two supporting elements, of which one supporting element isconnected to a drive and both supporting elements are movably connectedtogether by an endless chain guided over two sprocket wheels, with anadjustable tension roller for tensioning one stringer of the chain.

With a known ammunition container of this kind, each set of cartridgesis supported by a first and a second sup porting element and a separatedrive is provided for the first and the second supporting element. Thesetwo drives are arranged on the same side of the ammunition container,while the supporting elements are located on opposite sides so that longtransmission agents are necessary. A further disadvantage of this knownammunition container is that no device is provided for adjusting theangular relationship of the two above-mentioned sprocket wheels, wherebythe position of the sets of cartridges is not variable in relation totheir sliding path. An object of the present invention is to avoid thesedisadvantages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whereinthe chain forms the drive for the other supporting element, and a secondadjustable tensioning roller is provided for tehsioning the otherstringer of the chain so that the angular relationship of the two chainsprockets is adjustable by shifting the two tensioning rollers in thesame direction.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent fromthe detailed description below, a preferred modification of theinvention is shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the container.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line II-II ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE '3 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line IIIIII ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line IVIV ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line VV of FIGURE2.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line VIVI ofFIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view of a section of a front conveyor chain.

FIGURE 8 is a partial cross-sectional view with parts in elevation ofthe ratchet gear of the conveyor device in one working position.

FIGURE 9 is a similar view showing the elements in another workingposition, and

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line XX of FIGURE2.

The container 10 is designed to stack sets of cartridges 91, which areheld in magazine loading clips 90. A clip 90, shown in FIGURE 1 in planand in end view in FIG- URE 2, consists of a sheet-metal strip 11, bothlongitudinal edges of which are bent to the front so that they formlongitudinal grooves 12, the width of which cor- United States Patent 03,359,359 Patented Dec. 26, 19 67 responds to the height of theextraction rims 14 of the cartridges 13. The center portions of theclips 11 are pressed outwards into a U-shaped corrugation 15, extendingover the whole length of the clip. A couple of conveyor rollers 16 aresupported in the two ends of the clip in each case. In the rear cornersof the container 10, reaching to the base, are fixed two guide rails 17,with U-profile, in which the rollers 16 are guided.

An opening 18 is formed in the cover of the container (FIGURE 1), whichserves for inserting and removing the clips. As shown in FIGURE 2, inboth side pieces of the cover sheet 19 recesses 191 are formed, theheight of which is greater than the diameter of the cartridge 13.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, on the side walls 101 and 102 of thecontainer 10, guides 25 are secured, which engage in the necks 131 ofthe two outside cartridges 13 held in a clip and, in conjunction withthe rails 17, serve to guide the cartridge sets 91 in the container 10.

As FIGURE 3 shows, a conveyor device 85, fitted with chains, is mountedon the two side walls 101 and 102. The sprocket wheels 27 and 29 aresupported on the two shafts 26 and 28 mounted on the walls 101 and 102,and a ratchet wheel 30, forming part of a locking device 82 which ispivoted on the same shaft 28, is rigidly connected to the wheel 29.

As shown in FIGURE 8, three saw-tooth shaped locking spaces 301 withequal angular spacing are formed in the circumference of the ratchetwheel 30. One side 302 of the areas of contact of a space 301 isarranged radially, while the other side 303 cuts flat a plane surface305 extending tangentially from the circular periphery 304. On a shaft31, connected to the container wall 102, below ratchet wheel 30, ismounted a two-armed lever 32, one end of which has a stop face 321 and alug 322. In a recess in this lug 322 there is supported a bolt 34,rigidly connected to a fork-shaped part 331 of a pawl 33 gripping thelug 322, A spring 35 engaging with the lower end of the pawl 33 issupported on a pin 36, connected to the container wall 102. Under thepressure of this spring 35, the surface 332 of the pawl 33 is loaded inthe direction of the surface 321 of the lever 32, so that the distanceof its edge 333 from the swivel pin 28 is at least as great as theradius of the circular peripheral surface of the ratchet wheel 30.Furthermore, the lug 324 (shown in FIGURE 5) of the lever 32 forming acontact element, set parallel to the swivel pin 28, engaging in a recess37 in the rail 17, is pressed against the rear wall 103 of the container(FIGURE 9).

As FIGURE 4 shows, three sprocket wheels 39, 40 and 41, together with awasher 42, are keyed to a shaft 38 arranged above the container base 84,supported in the two side walls 101, 102. An additional Washer 43 issupported rotatably on this shaft 38 and lockable by means of a pawl 44pivoted on the container base 84 (FIGURE 6). The ends, arrangedconcentrically to the shaft 38, of a spiral spring 45 forming thedriving motor of the conveyor device, are secured to these two washers42 and 43 by means of bolts 77.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, endless conveyor chains 46, 47, constructedas roller chains, are laid over the two pairs of sprocket wheels 27, 39and 29, 40 of the conveyor device indicated generally by 85. The twocarriers 50, each provided with a pair of rollers 51, are guided in therails 17 which are connected by a rod 52 lying parallel to the containerrear wall 103 (FIGURE 3). To each of these carriers 50 there is secureda stop 53, directed towards the base of a rail 17, and in addition acatch 54 which, located between two rollers 471 of a stringer of aconveyor chain 46 and 47, lie next to and parallel to a rail 17, gripsone of these rollers 471. In the upper part of the rails 17, in thebase-of the same, stops 55 are inserted. These are so arranged that, onthe carriers resting against the stops 55, the lever 32, actuated by theratchet wheel 39, rests against the container wall with its lug 324.

Sprocket wheels 57, 58 are mounted on two pins 56 rigidly fixed to thecontainer walls 101, 102. Three sprocket wheels 60, 61, 62 are keyed toa shaft 59, also supported in these container walls (FIGURE 4). Thisshaft 59 is in driving connection with the shaft 38 through an endlesschain 64 laid over the sprocket wheels 41 and 62.

Two eccentric devices 80, which both have a tensioning roller 63 (FIGURE2), serve for accurate adjustment of the conveyor device, so that thecartridges lie at right angles to the direction of feed. Each of theseeccentric devices engages in a stringer of the chain 64 and is as shownin FIGURE mounted in an aperture 83 in a circular collar 93 on thecasing wall 102. A washer 96 is rotatably supported 'on the circularcollar 93. The washer 96 with its flange 81 is pressed against thecircular collar 93 by means of a second washer 94 and bolts 93, 99, sothat a rigid connection takes place between the washers 94, 96 and thecasing wall 102. Eccentric to the washer 96, a bolt 97 carrying thetensioning roller 63 is secured to the washers 93 and 94, by means ofthe bolt 99. To adjust the eccentric device 80, that is to be able torotate the tensioning roller 63 with the washers 94 and 96 about theaxis of the washer 96, the bolts 98 and 99 must first be loosened.

The two conveyor chains 65, 66, driven by the sprocket wheels 60, 61 andled over the wheels 57, 58, are constructed with links 67 and doublelinks 68 which, as FIGURE 7 shows, are flexibly connected by means ofthe pins 69. The bolt heads 691 and the washers. 70 having the samediameter as these, secured to the shaft 692, engage in the spaces in theteeth of the sprocket wheels 57, 58 and 60, 61, constructed withdoubletoothed rims. As FIGURE 2 shows, a number of successive links 67of a chain 65 or 66 have two lugs 671 directed towards the containerrear wall 103, enclosing an acute angle. It can further be seen fromFIGURE 3 that the lugs 671 of the links 67 of the two chains 65 and 66,lying at the same height relative to the containor base, each carry arod 71 connected to these same chains. Each pair of these rods 71connected to a link 67 form a plane, which is inclined to the containerbase. To these pairs of rods 71 are fastened labels 72, the sides ofwhich facing towards the opening 18 in the container are marked withnumbers from 1 to 9, corresponding to the numbers of sets of cartridges91 which can be stacked.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, a further number of successive links 73 ofthe chain 65 are provided with projecting parts 731, to which labels 74are fastened. These are set at right angles to the plane formed by thetwo stringers of the chain 65. With the movement of the chain 65, thesurfaces of the labels 64, provided with the numbers 1 to 9, run alongthe front container wall 104 past a sight opening 75 contained in thelatter.

The operation is as follows:

In the filled condition of the container 10 of FIGURE 2, the clips 90,guided by the pairs of rollers 16 in the rails 17, lie touching on topof one another, sothat the whole stack is supported on the carriers 50,likewise movable in the rails 17, which rest with their lower rollers 51on the container base. The projectiles 92 of the individual sets ofcartridges 91 are secured by the rods 71 of the upper and lower lugs 671of two successive links 67 of the chains 65 and 66, so that thecartridges are directed parallel to the container base. The projectiles92 of the top set of cartridges 91 lie on the upper of each pair of rods71 which carries the label 72 marked 9. Similarly, the succeeding setsof cartridges 91 going downwards are numbered by the labels 72, locatedimmediately below the latter, carrying the numbers 8," 7, 6 1. The label74 fastened to the chain 65, also marked 9, lies directly behind thesight opening 75 located in the front container wall 104. The labels ofthe chain 65, following successively upwards, carry the numbers 8, 7, 6

The tensioned driving spring 45 of the conveyor device acts on the shaft38 so that a downward pull is exerted on the stringers of the chains 46,47 lying on the right in FIGURE 2, and thereby a circumferential forceacts on the sprocket wheels 27 and 29 which tend to turn these wheels ina clockwise direction and therewith also the ratchet wheel 30 connectedto the wheel 29. A rotation of the ratchet wheel 30 is, however,prevented because the surface 303 of the latter abuts against thesurface 334 of the pawl 33 pivoted on the lever 32 (FIGURE 2). Rotationof the lever 33 clockwise about its axis 31, and therewith release ofthe ratchet wheel 30, is however not possible, because the lower roller16 of the pair of rollers 16 being on the right of the top clip isclamped between the lever lug 324 and the front side wall 171 of therail 17.

For removal of the top .set of cartridges 91, an operator standingbehind the rear wall 103 of the container, facing the latter, reacheswith his hands in the recesses 191 of the side cover sheets 19, graspsthe outermost cartridges 13 of this set and lifts up the set ofcartridges. When, during this upward movement of the clip, the lowerroller 16 runs off the lug 32-4 of the lever 32, then the latter is nolonger retained and, under the pressure of the rotating ratchet wheel30, which in this case overcomes the force of the spring 35 also actingon lever 32, rotates clockwise until the surface 334 of the pawl 33 runsoff the surface 303 of the ratchet wheel 30 (FIGURE 8). As soon as theedge 333 of the pawl runs off the fiat surface 305 of the ratchet wheel30, and consequently only the spring 35 now acts in the counterclockwisedirection, the lever 32 is brought back by the latter to its originalposition, in which the lever arm 323 occupies the contact position inwhich its lug 324 rests against the container wall 103.

On rotation of the lever 32, a force is now transmitted through the fiatsurface 305 of the ratchet wheel 30 to the pawl 33 and rotates thelatter clockwise about its axis 34, so that the surface 332 moves awayfrom the surface 321 of the lever 32 (FIG. 9). When the ratchet wheel 30has rotated so far that the pawl edge 333 rests on the contact point ofthe fiat surface 305 with the circular surface 304, under the pressureof the spring 35 the pawl 33 again abuts against the surface 321 of thelever 32. On further rotation, the surface 303 of the next gap 301 ofthe ratchet wheel 30 now rests on the surface 334 of the pawl wherebythe latter and therewith also the sprocket wheel 29 come to a stop aftercompletion of a full step shift. Further step shifts are possible, untilthe stops 53 of the carriers 50 strike the stops 55 secured to the rails17.

During the carrying out of such a step shift, the carriers 50, connectedto the chains 46, 47, move and raise the stack of clips 90 resting onthem, with corresponding release of the driving spring 45, by an amountcorresponding to the height of such a clip 90, whereby the lower roller16 of the pair of rollers on the right (as viewed by the operator) ofthe clip, now conveyed to the top position again, arrives between thelever lug 324 and the Wall 171 of the guide 17, and thereby preventsrotation of the lever 32 and the ratchet wheel 30 in the way alreadyexplained. The movement of the drive shaft 38 is transmitted by thechain 64 to the shaft 59, so that the chains 65 and 66, moved by thelatter, move in the same direction, and at the same speed, as the chains46 and 47.

On inserting a set of cartridges 91 in the container 10 for stacking, ifthere is present a remainder of cartridge sets, it is placed on the topset and pressed down by hand with a force of about 40 kg. As a result ofthis pressure, the stack of clips 90 and the carriers 50 are moveddownwards. The chains 46, 47, in driving connection with the carriers80, are rotated counterclockwise (as viewed in FIGURE 2) and the drivingspring 45 is again wound up to an angle corresponding to a step shift bythe washer 42 fixed to the shaft 38. With the counterclockwise movementof the chains 46, 47 of the sprocket wheels 27 and 29 of the ratchetWheel 30, the circular surface 304 of the latter moves along the edge333 of the pawl 33 pivoted on the lever 32. Through the winding actionof the flat surface 305 following the curved surface 304 of the ratchetwheel 30, the pawl 33 is rotated about its axis. Then, however, it snapsinto the next gap 301 of the ratchet wheel 30, whereby its surface 334lies behind the surface 303 of the latter. Therewith, after cessation ofthe pressure exerted in inserting the set of cartridges 91, returnclockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel 30, and hence also the undesiredupward movement of the stack of sets of cartridges, is prevented.

These movements of the chains 46, 47, caused by insertion of sets ofcartridges 91, are transmitted to the front conveyor chains 65, 66, sothat the rods 71 carrying the projectiles 92 of the sets of cartridges91 are moved downwards at the same speed as the clips 90.

The compressive force which must be used in inserting the sets ofcartridges 91 in the container, corresponds to the difference betweenthe total force transmitted by the spring 45 to the chains 46, 47 and65, 66 and the weight of the sets of cartridges weighing down on thecarriers 50 and the rods 71. The characteristic of the driving spring 45for the conveyor device is now so determined that the magnitude of thiscompressive force is practically always the same, irrespective of thedegree of fullness of the container.

The number carried by the label 72, located immediately below theprojectiles 92 of the top set of cartridges 91 at any time, moved by thechains 65, 66, indicates to the operator how many sets of cartridges thecontainer holds at the moment. The same purpose is served by the labels74 transported by the chain 65, the numbers of which can be read throughthe sight opening by a member of the gun crew situated further away fromthe container, for example by the gun commander.

We claim:

1. An ammunition container in which sets of cartridges are arranged inlayers movable along a straight-line path transverse of a layer,comprising two supporting elements for supporting the lower set ofcartridges, driving means connected to one of said supporting elements,an endless chain connecting both supporting elements movably together,two sprocket Wheels over which said chain is guided, an adjustabletensioning roller for tensioning one run of said chain, said chaindriving the other of said supporting elements and a second adjustabletensioning roller for tensioning the other run of said chain so that theangular relationship of said two chain sprockets is adjustable byshifting said two tensioning rollers in the same direction.

2. An ammunition container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said twotensioning rollers are adjustable by means of eccentric means.

3. An ammunition container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drivingmeans comprises a wound helical spring whose axis is at right angles tothe feed direction adjacent the base of said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,494,728 1/1950 Stacey et al.89-33 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner,

1. AN AMMUNITION CONTAINER IN WHICH SETS OF CARTRIDGES ARE ARRANGED INLAYERS MOVABLE ALONG A STRAIGHT-LINE PATH TRANSVERSE OF A LAYER,COMPRISING TWO SUPPORTING ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORTING THE LOWER SET OFCARTRIDGES, DRIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENTS,AN ENDLESS CHAIN CONNECTING BOTH SUPPORTING ELEMENTS MOVABLY TOGETHER,TWO SPROCKET WHEELS OVER WHICH SAID CHAIN IS GUIDED, AN ADJUSTABLETENSIONING ROLLER FOR TENSIONING ONE RUN OF SAID CHAIN, SAID CHAINDRIVING THE OTHER OF SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENTS AND A SECOND ADJUSTABLETENSIONING ROLLER FOR TENSIONING THE OTHER RUN OF SAID CHAIN SO THAT THEANGULAR RELATIONSHIP OF SAID TWO CHAIN SPROCKETS IS ADJUSTABLE BYSHIFTING SAID TWO TENSIONING ROLLERS IN THE SAME DIRECTION.